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Overview

4 spacious apartments placed in a panoramic location, with a semi-olympic pool

Villa EtnAmare is divided into 4 units with independent accesses and private terraces. The villa is situated up on a hill overlooking the green East coast of Sicily, between Mount Etna and the Ionian sea. It is surrounded by a land of five hectares dotted with heavily laden citrus trees and flowers.

The huge swimming pool (25x8m) is set amongst orange and olive trees on a natural terrace offering spectacular views of the Volcano and of the whole coastline as far as Catania, Giardini Naxos and Taormina.

Villa EtnAmare has recently been built and consists of ground floor, attic and basement with parking.

Each apartment offers a sweeping view on the green coast to the east and Mount Etna to the west. As well as a terrace, the apartment Geranio offers a large, private lawn garden with sea view.

Two units can be combined in order to have large apartments with 3 bedrooms.

Villa EtnAmare lies only 500 metres away from Santa Venerina, a village famed for the production of sweets, wine and liqueurs. In the village, just 5 minutes walking distance, there are good restaurants, supermarkets and shops.

This quiet, landscaped village offers a number of relaxing activities which can be booked from the property: wine tours, massage, tennis and horse riding.

You can also book guided tours to Mt Etna, Taormina and the marine reserve of Aci Trezza. The owners will be available for any tips on the area during your stay.

Santa Venerina is an excellent base from which to explore eastern Sicily, thanks to its very strategic position halfway between Catania and Taormina. The village is 5 minutes drive from the highway A18 Catania-Messina from which (in an average time of 20 minutes) you can reach the most beautiful places of Eastern Sicily, such as Taormina, Alcantara Gorge, Catania, Acicastello, Acireale, Etna, Giardini Naxos...

The charming baroque town of Acireale is only 15 km away from Santa Venerina. It is situated next to the 'Riviera dei Ciclopi', a unique coast with a crystal clear sea and lava stacks (Faraglioni) which is believed by Greek mythology to correspond to the stones thrown by blind Polifemo to Ulysses.The Riviera traditional resort towns of Acicastello and Acitrezza have long been a magnet for local day trips and offer arguably the best Granita to be found anywhere and lots of good seafood trattorias. Catania, with its rich architectural heritage, its vibrant markets, restaurants and shops, is only 30 minutes away from the village.

The east coast Ionian Riviera has some of Sicily's most picturesque pebbly and sandy beaches including those of Isola Bella, Giardini Naxos and Letojanni (below Taormina). Santa Venerina is just 25 km from Gardini Naxos and 30 km (20 minutes with the highway) from Taormina, which draws more visitors than any other town in Sicily, thanks to its splendid position, its elegant shops, and its Graeco-Roman theatre with a unique view of Mount Etna. Torre Archirafi, Pozzillo and Santa Maria la Scala are pleasant seaside villages near Santa Venerina. The nearest beaches can be found in Praiola, Stazzo and Pozzillo (8 km).

Santa Venerina is also an excellent starting point from which to explore Mount Etna and its surroundings. The towns and villages that dot the flanks of Etna, such as Zafferana Etnea, Trecastagni and Randazzo, are well worth stopping off for a visit to their seventeenth century churches built in lava stone or for a spot of lunch in restaurants offering delicious local products. The village is only 4 km away from Zafferana Etnea and 10 km from Rifugio Sapienza, the main ski area, where you can take the Etna cableway, up to the main craters.

The sun of Sicily holds the record in Europe and maintains a mild climate throughout the year. Spring is the ideal time to enjoy the culture and nature that this island has to offer. It’s well worth making a trip just to experience the Easter processions, bringing together folklore and tradition in an incredibly mystic way.

The interior is spectacular, with the mountain slopes exploding in colour, while on the coast the first bathers start taking to the beaches.

In autumn, throughout October and mid-November, the sea water is still warmed by the summer sun, and the daytime temperature still reaches 30°c during the warmest hours. Many towns around Etna organize festivals dedicated to local products such as wine, mushrooms and sweets.

Our apartments are suitable for winter, Christmas and New Year. The weather between December and March can often be mild and sunny, but each of the apartments have a cosy quality allied to good heating systems and plenty of indoor space just in case!

Glicine has frontal sea view, with a terrace and a balcony overlooking the whole coastline as far as the bay of Catania on one side and Taormina on the other. The terrace also offers an amazing view of Mount Etna.

The apartment's ground floor consists of a living room with a fully equipped kitchen, a double sofa bed, a bathroom with shower and a double bedroom. Two large sliding doors access the balcony and the terrace which is equipped with a garden table, chairs, parasol and a barbecue.

On the upper floor there is a triple bedroom, a bathroom and a balcony with sea view.

About Fabio Monaco/Nadia Monaco

Hello, my name is Nadia. I graduated in Foreign Langueges and Literatures in 2011 and I'm a teaching assistant since 2013. Although cultivating an unbridled passion for travel, I have always been living in Santa Venerina. My brother Fabio has lived and worked in Stockholm for a few years as a sound engineer before moving back to Sicily in 2014. My parents Angelo and Maria Teresa, a builder and a landscape architect, respectively, teamed up to realise our little paradise that we all love to share, since we have the great opportunity to meet different people from all over the world.

Why Fabio Monaco/Nadia Monaco chose Catania

My father bought the property in 1986. He was enchanted by the beauty of that vast plot of land cultivated with vineyards and citrus groves that offered an unrivaled view and that, despite being in the countryside, was so well connected to neighboring towns.

On the property was a lovely winery that, once renovated, became our home for a few years.

Among my most cherished childhood memories are the summer times spent with my brother exploring, riding a bike, climbing the fruit trees and gorging ourselves with cherries, apricots and whatever else we could find when we got hungry... and then the harvest in autumn days, which became the occasion of parties and meetings with family and friends.

In 2001 began the construction of the present structure, which was completed in 2010.

We share our property with genuine passion, aware and proud of the uniqueness of this place. Papà Angelo loves to collect fresh fruit for our guests and to lead them along the citrus scented paths, so that they can pick the fruit by themselves. Mamma Maria Teresa is a discreet presence, but 'behind the scenes' she coordinates all matters relating to the care of garden and villas.

Everything is family run whereby it is sometimes very difficult, but in the end there is no greater satisfaction than to see guests come back year after year, or just say some nice words about their stay at our place.

What makes this apartment unique

Villa EtnAmare was inaugurated in July 2010. The villa, garden and semi-Olympic pool have been designed and built by the owners Angelo and Maria Teresa.The wooden furnishings and traditional Sicilian finishes in lava stone and terracotta have been chosen with great care.

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Reviews

Wonderful!4.9/5 -

(23 traveller reviews)

Perfect accommodation, location and hosts.

We have just returned from the most perfect holiday at Etnamare. The three of us (two adults, one five year old) stayed in the Glicine apartment. It had everything we needed and more and was spotlessly clean. We used upstairs for sleeping (thoughtfully the owners had made up a single bed for our 5 year old in the upstairs living area so we could be close together at night) and had the luxury of using the downstairs bedroom as a dressing room. The extensive balcony had great views to the sea and Mt Etna, simply stunning, and was ideal for lazy evening bbqs and also in the early mornings we enjoyed watching Angelou tending to the fruit trees. The gardens around the apartment were abundant with trees and flowers and an amazing amount of butterflies! The pool is large, again with stunning views and we went every day in the morning or late afternoon. The first week of our stay we had it to ourselves which was great but even when other apartments were full it was never busy.

The nearby town has plenty of restaurants and shops for supplies, on the last night we passed a fantastic looking cheese shop, we wished we'd found it sooner!

We had a hire car to visit surrounding towns and of course Etna. Out favourite beach was Isola Bella but there are many to choose from and all have their charm.

Nadia, Dario and family were friendly but discreet hosts. They were very helpful when you needed them but also made us feel very at home for the two weeks of our stay. We wish you luck with your new arrival in September, what a place for a child to grow up!

Thanks for a great holiday and we hope to return one day as we fell in love with Sicily-Carol, Stephen and Evan.

superb location for seeing Sicily east coast

Travelling as 2 couples we had booked a 2-bedroom apartment. On arrival we were offered two 1-bedroom apartments with an adjoining door. This had the advantage of all being on one level with two adjacent balconies, but the disadvantage was having two smaller kitchens each with a small dining table. Most of the time we ate outside so it didn't matter a great deal.

Overall the property is lovely in magnificent grounds and we had the huge swimming pool all to ourselves for 5 days. We highlighted a few maintenance issues with the owner and trust these have been addressed - the bed sheets were too small for the beds, there were no towel rails in the bathrooms, nor a shelf to put toiletries, and the curtain cords (or was it a blind?) were broken. However this in no way spoilt our stay.

It is a very peaceful place to relax and enjoy the views morning, noon and night, and only a short stroll into the local village for daily food supplies.

Review Submitted: Oct 13, 2015

Date of Stay: Jun 2015

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: Thank you for your positive review regarding your stay in our property! We were pleased to accommodate you in our Combo (Girasole + Gelsomino) unit which, as a whole, is larger than the two bedroomed Glicine. Each wooden table in the Combo is extendable, and when extended can be used by 6-8 people. I regret not letting you know on arrival.
Thank you for reporting the required maintenance. We first fixed the curtain cords, but since they proved to be not very resistant and kept breaking down, we ended up changing the opening system of the curtains. We have added a bathroom furniture in the apartment Girasole, where there was no shelf, and also replaced some of the fitted sheets whose elastic straps were loose and lost grip, giving the impression of being small.
However I must point out that each bathroom has always been provided (and always will be) with towel rails next to the sink and bidet.
Thanks again for being our guests, we hope we will be able to see you again in our rental villa.
Best regards, Nadia & Family

Stunning views, great location, fantastic stay

Firstly, the location is fantastic, nestled in the hills overlooking Catania and the sea to one side, and Mt Etna to the other. It made a fantastic base from which to visit many of the sights of the west coast of Sicily including Etnaland, Taormina and the volcano itself. Conveniently it is only about a 25-30 minute drive to Catania airport and just a couple of minutes walk from a lovely restaurant, the 5 Botti, which we highly recommend.

The villa was exactly as described, perhaps even more beautiful. The pool and its facilities were glorious, the kids loved it. The beds were large and comfortable, the towels were plentiful, the showers hot and the air-con worked beautifully.

There was the odd problem but this was swiftly resolved by Nadia and Dario. They were lovely hosts who went out of their way to ensure we had a great holiday.

Great base for exploring Sicily!

Our family of 5 stayed in the Girasole/Gelsomino combo in August for 8 days. The apartments were spotlessly clean and the views from our terrace were stunning with the sea on one side and Mt Etna on the other. The pool was fantastic for lounging around with a pleasant breeze ,although when we were there Sicily had some unseasonal weather resulting in rain at times. The cooler weather meant for good sightseeing however and we explored Siracuse, Mt Etna via the cable car , Aci Castello and Taormina as well as other places. We found 2 supermarkets within 5 mins or so from the villa so self - catering was easy and had several bbq's sitting on the spacious terrace surrounded by flowers and butterflies. Our sons loved the visits from Gandalf the cat! It was reassuring also to have Nadia nearby who spoke very good English, and thank you for a wonderful holiday .

Great vacation in the 'Glicine' apartment at Villa

We had a wonderful holiday staying in the Glicine apartment in Villa Etnamare. We were 2 adults and 3 children aged 13, 13 and 9. The Glicine apartment was perfect for us! There is a wonderful terrace with views both of the sea and of Etna, the apartment sites on the corner of the building and there is a nice breeze to enjoy as you sit in the sun. The entry level of the apartment has a fully equipped, large kitchen and there is a large master bedroom and bathroom incorporating a washing machine - perfect for not having to bring too many clothes! The kids had the upper floor to themselves...which was cool for them. This has 2 bedrooms, one with a double bed and one with single, and there is a bathroom and also a small kitchen area.

The swimming pool area was fantastic - a large pool with sea and Etna views and ample comfortable sun loungers. We were there every day...there is lots to see and do around the area but is was also great just to relax at the pool, head out for some hours during the day and then return to the pool again later...perfect!

The villa is in a superb location, a short commute from Catania airport - took us only 35 minutes - and central for returning to Catania for a day trip, seeing around Etna or going further up the east coast.

We would highly recommend the Villa Etnamare and hope to be back soon.

Thanks Nadia and Fabio and best wishes!

John, Pia, Malte, Ross and Matilde

Review Submitted: Jul 29, 2015

Date of Stay: Jul 2015

Source: HomeAway

Owner's Response: Dear John, thank you for taking the time to write such a positive and detailed review regarding your recent stay at our property. We are glad that you enjoyed the two-story apartment Glicine, as well as the location. One of the benefits of choosing my villa is definitely the panoramic, hilly location that tempers the summer heat. Anyway, the apartments are equipped with air conditioning with separate control in each room. We also considered it important to provide each apartment with a washing machine, iron and ironing board, in order to make you feel at home. Also, thanks for highlighting that the proximity to many places of interest makes the villa suitable for both relaxation and excursions.We are looking forward to having you with us again soon! Nadia

Villa EtnAmare lies only 500 metres away from Santa Venerina, a village famed for the production of sweets and liqueurs. The 'Russo' bar is well-known for the production of sweets: 'cornetti al miele' (croissants filled with honey), marzipan fruit and almond pastries.

Santa Venerina is an excellent base from which to explore eastern Sicily thanks to its very strategic position halfway between Catania and Taormina. The village distance 5 minutes from the highway A18 Catania-Messina from which (in an average time of 20 minutes) it is possible to reach the most beautiful places of Eastern Sicily. It is the ideal starting point for a visit to Taormina, Catania, Acicastello, Acitrezza, Acireale, Etna, Siracusa, Giardini Naxos...

The charming town of Acireale distance only 15 km from Santa Venerina. It is situated next to the 'Riviera dei Ciclopi', a unique coast with a crystal clear sea and lava stacks (faraglioni) which is believed by Greek mythology to correspond to the stones thrown by blind Polifemo to Ulysses.The Riviera traditional resort towns of Acicastello and Acitrezza have long been a magnet for local day trips and offer arguably the best Granita to be found anywhere and lots of good seafood trattorias.Catania, with its rich architectural heritage, its vibrant markets, restaurants and shops, is only 30 minutes away from the village.

The east coast Ionian Riviera has some of Sicily's most picturesque pebbly and sandy beaches including those of Isola Bella, Giardini Naxos and Letojanni (below Taormina).Santa Venerina is just 25 km from Gardini Naxos and 30 km (20 minutes with the highway) from Taormina, which draws more visitors than any other town in Sicily, thanks to its splendid position, its elegant shops, and its Greek/Roman theatre with a unique view of Mount Etna.Torre Archirafi, Pozzillo and Santa Maria la Scala are pleasant seaside villages near Santa Venerina. The nearest can be found in Praiola (8 km), a wild pebbled beach next to an impressive cliff.

Santa Venerina is also an excellent starting point from which to explore Mount Etna and its surroundings. The towns and villages that dot the flanks of Etna, such as Zafferana Etnea, Trecastagni and Randazzo, are well worth stopping off for a visit to their seventeenth century churches built in lava stone or for a spot of lunch in restaurants offering delicious local products. The village is only 4 km away from Zafferana Etnea and 10 km from Rifugio Sapienza, the main ski area, where it is possible to take the Etna cableway, up to the main craters.

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